Public comment, Cindy Bontraeger email, face coverings

4:18Thank you, Mr. Steinsteiner. Now is the time for public comment. Senators are given an opportunity to comment on any item coming before the board during the public comment section. The board also takes public comment on items to be placed on the future board agenda or other businesses under purview. Due to COVID 19 operation, the safeguard the well-being and safety of our citizens and staff, today's public comment will be handled differently. First, we will take public comment from those that approve. Register for a WebEx link and are currently on queue. Afterwards, we will read into the public record comments, documents, PowerPoints, or videos that have been identified by members of the public to be read out loud, played at the meeting are received and filed. Finally,

4:48we'll take public comment from those currently signed up at the kiosk station. Comments are not to exceed three minutes. This new format does not waive the request that when you address the board, comments are not directed personally at any commissioner or team member, but rather directed at the issues. This provides mutual respect between the board members and the public. For WebEx and kios participants, after stating your name and address for the clerk, the timer will be activated. We'll start a countdown. After two minutes, one beep will sound. Letting you know that only one minute remains after the time is up, two beeps will sound, indicating three minutes are up, and you should close your comments.

5:18WebEx participants will be disconnected when their time is up, and kios participants will be asked to move away from the kiosk. Madam Clerk, do we have anyone pre-registered to speak? Emails to be read into the record or received and filed this morning.

5:33Uh Mr. Chair, there were four that pre-registered on the WebEx link. None are connected into WebEx. I do have one email to be read into record. We received two.

5:44Okay. Um let's go ahead first and proceed and see if there's anybody at the kiosk. Is there anybody at the kiosk this morning?

5:51There is nobody at the kiosk this morning.

5:53With that, Madam Clerk, please read the email into the record.

5:56Okay. Emails from Cindy Bontraeger, [address removed], general agenda item. The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and the Pasco County Administrator issued a local state of emergency due to the threat of COVID and relied on Florida statutes 252.38. This statute is in the context of the action. The county can take in its own effort. The statute does not provide the county with the authority to compel the community

6:26to take action. The order requiring face coverings is an abuse of authority and an infringement on individual civil liberties. The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and the Pasco County Administrator have crossed the line into an individual's personal responsibility to take precautions that an individual has the constitutional right to determine for themselves. The county's actions are that of a totalitarian and a socialistic form of government. The consequences for these types of actions, which may be well intended, not necessarily that

6:56a malevolent Nature. Create a society that becomes dependent on government to solve all problems rather than empowering community members with information to make informed decisions that produce an educated response citizenry that can be trusted and likewise can trust. One would expect elected officials in the United States of America to recognize this. Initially, in March 2020, it was caught, it was thought that COVID posed a threat to the lives of many. In fact, the county ordinance that the

7:26ordering that the order requiring face mask covering relies on in Chapter 30 defines an emergency as an occurrence or threat thereof, whether accidental, natural, Or caused by man in war or peace, which results or may result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property. Since the county issued the local state of emergency on March twelfth, twenty twenty, the C D C has issued es has issued estimated infection fatality rates for COVID. The updated survival rates

7:57by age group and quoted by Governor DeSantis are zero to nineteen ninety nine point Nine nine seven percent, twenty to forty nine, ninety-nine point nine eight percent. Fifty to sixty nine, ninety nine point five percent. 70 plus 94.6%. Additionally, on September 25th, 2020, Governor DeSantis updated Floridians with the following information. COVID hospitalizations have declined by 72 77%. COVID ICU hospitalizations have declined 72%. ED visits for COVID-like

8:27illnesses Has declined by nearly 80 percent. The local state of emergency signed on March 12, 2020, resolved that it is expressly authorized to dissolve this local state of emergency if the event no longer posed a threat to the lives of Pasco County residents. Clearly, as of today, October 5th, 2020, there is no longer a threat and the local state of emergency should be dissolved. For the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and the Pasco County Administrator to continue to ignore this information. is an agrarious abuse of authority. Additionally, the local state of emergency signed on March twelfth, twenty

8:58twenty per Florida statutes two two five two point three eight is required to be extended every seven days. I cannot locate an updated resolution beyond August twentieth, twenty twenty. The order requiring case of rent. Who's that from? Um Cindy Vontrager.

9:14Where's that person live? She

9:15in

9:15Pasco County?

9:16She lives in Spring Hill. I don't know if it's that part of Pasco County, but [address removed].

9:22Gotcha. So is that it? Nobody else?

9:25That's all.